Baricordi



March 10, 1964 A. BARlcoRDl METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FINE GRINDING 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1960 FIG. 3

FIG.

OGOOOOO INVENTOR; .Aara'cor-CLL Z A \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\fl FIG. 2

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ATTORNEYS MarCh 10, 1964 A. BARlcoRDl METHOD AND APPARATUS Foa FINE GRINDING 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 26, 1960 mvENTom A. Barc'cord llaka-rJAy-f ATTORNEYS March l0, 1964 Filed May 26, 1960 A. BARlcoRDl 3,124,312

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FINE GRINDING 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

FIG. IO

mvEN'roR; A. Banco/*dc ATTORNEYS March 10, 1964 A. BARlcoRDl 3,124,312

METHOD `\AND APPARATUS FOR FINE GRINDING Filed May 26, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 O FIG. Il

FIG. l2-

mvENTom A. Bar-carcI/l ATTORNEY:u

United States Patent O "ice 3,124,312 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FINE GRINDING Antonio Baricordi, 26 Via Cantonale, Lugano, Switzerland Filed May 26, 1960, Ser. No. 31,920` Claims priority, application Germany May 26, 1959 9 Claims. (Cl. 24121-5) The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for grinding solids in a gaseous current, including the minute dispersion and homogenization of lsolids which have been previously comminuted, as well as of liquids and gases and for simultaneously mixing several such materials with one another. The invention refers more particularly to a method and a corresponding apparatus for providing the dissolution of previously commi'nuted substances of armorphous or crystalline nature, liquids and gases, separately or in any desired combinations into colloidal and molecular particles, the thorough mixing of such particles with each other and their homogenization, as well as the addition of certain substances to other substances, whereby a refining of the substances is `also attained.

It is known in the art to comminute substances by the use of rollers and other mechanical devices which carry out comminuting methods involving pressure and friction effects. It is also known to carry out the comminution by projecting the substances against a wall with very high speed in the manner carried ont by nozzles, so that the main effect is that of a blow. The common feature of all these comminution methods is a very forceful action 'upon the structural composition of the particles.

On the other hand, an object of the present invention is to carry out the process of comrninution in a floating state, whereby the substances are subjected to very small pressure and frictional forces, the com-minution taking place within aitiiicially produced microvortexes which affect positively or negatively the molecular forrces of the particles, whereby the continuously changing compression and idecompression of the particles-gas mass causes the breakage of the structural compositi-ion of the substances. Microvortexes or microvortex movements may be defined as whirling motions of small size produced by moving bodies having a large number of small nozzle-like perfoi'lations, such as whirlers of honeycomblike cellular structure.

Another object is the provision of a process involving continuous supply of fresh atmospheric air -as a carrier gas within the apparatus, whereby the above-mentioned effects lying at the dividing line between physics and chemistry, become of greater importance, so that the natuiral `absorption of oxygen and the accumulation upon the mass located in the apparatus can be carried out very cheaply and very quickly.

A furthe-r object is the utilization of such process for the addition of other gases or liq-uids to the particles ilowing into the apparatus, in `any desired ratio.

Yet another object is the provision of an apparatus and process of the described type which make it possible to utilize and make effective all operative substances 'for all purposes, namely, not only in a wide range of chemistry but in many vother industrial lfields as well, by making it possible to physically break up large amounts of quite different particles to a degree -of fineness which was not attainable heretofore, and simultaneously to thoroughly mix them or to accumulate them.

A still further object is to utilize the numerous advantages ofthe apparatus and process of the described type in the art `of dressing fuels, lby making it possible not only to completely break up such materials a very simple manner, and thus to increase their affinity to reactions,

3,124,312 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 but also to inuence them catalytically during this breaking up Iand in a single openative step, in such manner that the results will be much greater than was possible, or was considered possible, heretofore.

One of the general objects of thev present invention is the provision of a process and apparatus constituting :refining means for various substances which make it possible to reach physically the colloids or the molecules, and thus to provide a thorough mixing and accumulation of different substances which chemically may not be easily compatible.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In accomplishing the objects :of the present invention it was found desirable to subject the materials in a suspended state to the action of microvortexes which intersect each other in different ways, so as to produce suction and recoil vortexes. lIn this connection the carrier gas or air, with the particles of ground material which are held in suspension, must be regarded as a viscous mass, the internal structural bonding of which becomes loosened and broken up by the stretching, pressing, bending, cutting, rotating and bursting action of the vortexes, while at the same time fresh microvortexes are formed between the parallel-moving and counter-moving microvortexes, with the result that these fresh rnicrovortexes also expand, press, intersect and explode in the acceleration and retardation phases, the effect being furthered by a great number of cutting edges and bafe or impact surfaces provided in the apparatus according to the invention, by which the vorteXes are partly split up and partly reformed or multiplied.

Through the action of the whirling forces the internal cohesive forces of the materials are brought down to a common level, whereby materials of different specific gravities and different structural textures are exposed to the whirling forces for a sufficient length of time to achieve uniformity of behavior within the mass as a whole. Throughout these operations, care must be taken, according to the present invention, to ensure that the whirling currents are converted into a multiplicity of microvortexes which, however, should not deviate too much from their natural form, since otherwise the whirling movement is transformed into a spraying effect with .the result that the desired action is interrupted.

-According to the present invention, the vortical cur.- rents, on coming into contact with the available space boundaries of the apparatus, must be constrained by a sub-divided boundary surface in order to be able to develop their effect fnl-ly.

In accordance with the broad aspects of the present invention the apparatus producing the microvor-texes includes a rotor and a stator wall, whereby both the rotor and the stator wall are provided with open cells, preferably of honeycomb structure which are located opposite each other and which form the microvortcxes when the rotor is rotated relatively to the stator wall.

A preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention which is known as a Moleculator, consists substantially of a hollow vertical cylinder with single or double walls which contains one or several coaxially arranged hollow rotating shafts. Several so-called whirlers or rotors are mounted in a suitable ascending arrangement on the outer cylindrical surface of the hollow centrai shaft. Each whirler consists of a hollow stem enclosed at a certain distance by a wall composed of polyhedral perforated cells of honeycomb-like structure. Between the front side of these whirlers or rotors and the inner wall of the main chamber, one or several intermediate walls, likewise composed of honeycomb-like cells, are arranged, so as to form the stator wail of part of the apparatus.

Gaseous or liquid substances introduced from below or above through the hollow central shaft into the apparatus chamber, enter the hollow stems of each rotor or whirler by induced suction effect, thence pass through bore holes in the stem into the cylindrical wall surrounding the stern of each rotor at a distance therefrom, whereby the open cells and edges of this wall repeatedly cut up the substances and direct them into microvortexes, whereupon they are partly flung obliquely against the stator wall and partly thrust against or intercepted by the whirlers, to be expanded again into millions of microvortexes in the interior space of the apparatus.

Solid substances in a pre-comminuted state, are introduced into the interior of the stator axially from the bottom or tangentially just above the bottom through a number of apertures in the bottom part of the shell and enter the range of action of the whirlers. The ascending mixture composed of particles and gases is immediately caught by the innumerable cells, webs and edges of the outer walls 'of the whirlers, and is immediately converted into microvortexes which fling the particles with a rotary movement within the stator chamber against the stator wall, whereupon the mixture is again transformed into more microvortexes and split up or exploded. These vortexes are interpenetrating and mutually disruptive and form renewed vortical nodes in the space between the stems and the walls of the whirlers, as well as between the front wall of each whirler and the stator wall of the apparatus chamber. After traveling through the inner space at a slightly rising angle, during which travel new vortexes are repeatedly formed and transformed, the solid substances pass out of the apparatus in an extremely fine degree of disintegration.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing, by way of example only, preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section through an apparatus according to the invention having a single stator wall and a single hollow shaft;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section through another embodiment of the apparatus, having a double stator wall and a double hollow shaft;

FIGURE 3 is a partial longitudinal section through a somewhat different apparatus on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section through the apparatus shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a partial longitudinal section through a differently constructed apparatus, namely, an apparatus providing a continuous recirculation of the particles;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a whirler without an outer wall;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of another whirler which is rectangular in shape and is provided with cells;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of yet another whirler which is hexagonal in shape and is provided with cells;

FIGURE 9 illustrates a honeycomb arrangement of the cells;

FIGURE l0 is an enlarged perspective View showing the shape of a single cell;

FIGURE 11 shows the arrangement of the cells in several superimposed cell group planes;

FIGURE 12 shows in side view, by way of example, an arrangement of 16 whirlers forming two groups of 8 whirlers each, distributed through 360 about a hollow shaft of the apparatus;

FIGURE 13 is a diagrammatic illustration of the main vortex directions in the interior of a stator which form about and within the whirlers;

FIGURE 14 is a diagrammatic illustration of a developed vortex with indicated explosion patterns.

However, in all of these constructions the apparatus comprises an outer cylindrical wall 2 which is covered on top by a cover 9 and is closed at the bottom by a base or bottom 8.

A hollow vertical shaft is located in the middle of the inner chamber enclosed by the wall 2. The thickness of the hollow shaft must be selected according to constructional requirements and the number of whirlers 7 which are to be attached thereto. The whirlers 7 which will be described in greater detail hereinafter, are attached to the shaft by their stems which extend through openings provided in the shaft and are firmly attached to the shaft.

FIGURE 1 shows diagrammatically a complete grindin'7 apparatus which comprises a single central hollow shaft 5a and a single cellular stator wall 5. The wall 5 is composed of cells illustrated in FIGURE 9, and which will be described in greater detail hereinafter. The longitudinal axis of the cells may extend vertically or horizontally, depending upon as to whether the substances to be comminuted are very tough or of a softer nature. The horizontal direction is intended for softer substances. The ground up solids introduced through the central shaft are discharged from the grinding chamber through a pipe I7.

In the construction shown in FIGURE 2 the hollow vertical shaft consists of two concentrical shafts 6a and 6b. In that case the outer shaft 6a must be made sufficiently strong to receive the hollow stems of the whirlers.

Furthermore, a single thread or multiple thread worm (not shown) can be built in between the two concentrically mounted shafts to connect the two shafts with each other in such manner that the inner and outer shafts constitute a rigid firm unit.

An inner cylindrical wall 3 is spaced from and concentrical with the outer wall 2. Pipes 4, which may be used for heating and/or cooling purposes, are located in the space between the walls 2 and 3.

The inner wall can be also provided with cooling ribs (not shown) so as to provide for possible cooling by circulating air.

A stator 5 consisting of a double cylindrical wall, enclose the whirlers 7, rotating along with the central shaft. The stator 5 is cell-like in structure. These cells are illustrated in FIGURES 9 to l1 and will be described in greater detail hereinafter. The honeycomb rows of cells of the double wall may be arranged one behind the other in the manner indicated in FIG, 11, so that these cells will appear to a viewer as different geometrical figures or bodies, whereby a vortex passing through the cells of the first one of the double wall will have its form changed by the cells of the second wall, or if a vortex is broken by the first wall it will be reformed by the second wall.

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate a construction in which the cylindrical wall 2 of the apparatus is provided at one or more locations with openings through which an inclined pipe 15a extends to provide for the tangential introduction of the material into the apparatus.

The cover 9 carries a pipe 17 (FIG. 3) through which the treated comminuted material is withdrawn from the apparatus. The cover 9 is strengthened by an annular support 9a.

The pipe I7 is of spiral form having a pitch of about 30, so as to reduce somewhat the speed with which they mixture leaves the apparatus, thereby facilitating the removal of the superfluous gas from the comminuted material.

The apparatus is double-walled, being provided with an inner wall 3 spaced from the wall 2. Pipes 4 used for heating or cooling purposes, depending on circumstances, are mounted in the space between the two walls.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the whirlers 7 have stems 11 provided with bore holes 12 extending in the directions of the longitudinal axes of the stems and communicating with the interior of the hollow shaft 6 carrying the stems 11.

The material may be introduced through the pipe 15a or through 4the shaft 6 and thence to stems 11 and openings 13a. The latter method is more suited for moist or wet milling.

The rotary fwhirlers 7 are enclosed by a cellular stator wall 5 having cells illustrated in FIGURES 9 to ll.

There are three different possible Ways of arranging the stator wall:

According to the tirst possibility, shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the stator wall 5 is not sealed `at all at the rear. Then a part of the mixture of gas and material can penetrate over the wall and then travels behind the stator wall to the bottom, whereupon it again reaches the internal spaces of the cylinder. Since the particles passing through the wall 5 are mostly comparatively coarse particles, the finished product will consist of particles having an extremely high degree of fneness and uniformity, although this is accomplished at the expense of the rate of output.

FIGURE 5 illustrates an apparatus the cylindrical wall 2 of which is provided with openings located approximately half way up the wall. A pipe 13 used for the discharge of the material to be comminuted for recirculation purposes, extends through these openings.

The cover 9 carries a curved pipe 17 (FIG. 5) through which the comminuted material is withdrawn from the apparatus.

A single cellular lstator wall 5 encloses the whirlers 7.

The second possibility of arranging the stator wall 5, as illustrated in lFIGURES 3, and 5 consists of sealing it partly by the wall 3, the outer ow of particles being indicated by larrows in the drawing. This construction diminishes the amount of particles penetrating beyond the stator wall. This amount can be regulated by shifting forwardly or rearwardly the valve 14. Then the particles are returned into the suction pipe 15 through the pipe 13 and thus pass again into the cylindrical interior of the apparatus.

The pipe 13 also serves as a relief outlet, in the event there is too much material `within the apparatus.

yIn this case, the degree of neness attained is les-s than that described in connection with the construction of FIGURES 3, and 4, but the output is considerably higher, so that this method of operating is usually pre-ferred.

A third possibility which can be also accomplished with the construction shown in FIGURE 5 is of sealing the stator wall S completely from the rear, either by a continuous wall 5, or by the shifting of the valve 14. The result is that no more particles can escape. This produces a somewhat lesser degree of lineness than in the second case, but a somewhat higher output.

Whirlers of various shapes are illustrated in FIGURES 6, 7 and `2l.

FIGURE 4 shows the stem 11 of a whirler which is provided with a central longitudinal bore 12 communicating Iwith the outer walls of the stem 11 through openings 13a, Due to this arrangement, the hollow stems l1 provide a connection between the interior of the central hollow shaft and the inner space of the stator.

Material to be treated passes Ifrom the central hollow shaft linto the hollow Ispaces 12 of the stems 11 which rotate along with the shaft. Thus the material is ejected under pressure by centrifugal forces through the openings 13a and immediat-ely thereafter forms turbulent currents, meeting other microvortexes in the space between the stems 11 and the outer walls 7 Vof .the whirlcrs 7, whereupon the material leaves this space also in the form of microvortexes.

The stems 11 can be screwed into the central shaft.

A-s shown in yFIGURE 6, each whirler 7 includes a stem 11 and a wall-like member 1'8, lwhich may be perforated, if desired, and which encloses the stem 11. In the construction of FIGURE 6 the member 18 is triangular in cross-section. The inner wall member 1S is attached to the stem 1*1 by welding at the rear end close to the shaft 6 and also at the front end of the stem 11.

6 Rings |19 are firmly mounted upon the inner wall member 1S. An outer cellular 'wall (not shown) is removably mounted over the rings 19 and is attached to the foremost ring and the rear ring. Thus in the construction shown in FGURE 6, the outer wall is cylindrical in shap-c. This shape is preferred in that it makes it possible by simple means to adapt the wall to every angular direction of the impinging particles.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a whirler having an inner wall 7 member which has four curved sides and four corners in cross-section. The outer cellular wall has four sides and is rectangular in cross-section.

FIGURE 8 illustrates a whirler having an inner wall member which has six curved sides and six corners in cross-section. The outer cellular wall is hexagonal in cross-section.

Obviously, the outer cellular wall may be of any other suitable polyhedral shape in cross-section, or elliptical shape.

Due to the described shapes of the whirlers one or more zones are formed between the stem 11 and the wall 18, as wel-l as between this wall and the wall 7', which zone 4or zones constitute inner turbulence-forming and microvortex-inducing zones of the whirler.

The characteristic honeycomb pattern of the outer wall 7 surrounding the inner space of the whirler and composed of perforated cells, as shown in FIGS. 6` to 8, is a factor of great importance in obtaining the desired effect, according to the present invention. As already stated, both the walls 7 of the whirlers and the stator wall 5 have this shape.

The honeycomb-cells have approximately a hexagonal shape. Each of these cells is open at its two bases and may be likened to an elongated honeycomb having an inner wall with a depth of only a few millimeters, whereas the edges and Webs are sharp-cutting or slightly rough. As shown in FIGURES 9 to lil one of these webs is slightly raised in relation to the other web, so that the edge of the web shown in white lies in a slightly higher plane than the edge of the web which is shown dark in these figures.

The polyhedral shape of these cells grouped in a perfolrated Ihoneycomb pattern `and each only' a few millimeters in size, causes the flow of material passing through to be converted into an enormous number of microvortexes and allows these to take their natural shape, while at the same time `causing their reformation, whereas the webs and edges of the cells break up these microvortexes and serve at the same time as impact land cutting surfaces yfor the coarser particles entrained into these vortexes.

The whirlers 7 are arranged along an ascending line, as shown in FIG. l2, so as to increase the suction effect, while lthe openings 13a (FIG. 4) leading outwards from the stem `11 can, by suitable adjustment of the whirl stem 11, be set at any angle to the transverse axis of the whirler so that they assist or check the upwardlydirected main lflow.

The number of whirlers, their spacing and their external `diameters depend upon the size of the machine and the degree of iineness of the particles which is to be obtained.

The basic mode of operation of the described apparatus embodiments is essentially the same:

The lluidized material flows jointly with the carrier air or gas stream, either tangentially through the pipes 15a as shown in FIGURE 3, or axially from the bottom through the pipe 16, as in FIGURES 2. and 5. The nurnber of these inlet suction pipes can be varied; moreover one or more pipes may also be provided exclusively for the feeding of air or gas.

Furthermore, the possibility of fitting the feed pipes in different ways enables different materials to be simultaneously fed into the inner space of the cylinder and in any desired proportion to each other. Not only are the materials, thus introduced, divided to a highly uniform degree of fineness, Ibut they are also intimately mixed with each other, being `added together grain by grain with the result that complete homogenization, mixing and addition are achieved.

The rotation of the whirlers 7 along with the shaft 6 produces an ascending air current and, consequently, sub-atmospheric pressure in the lower portion of the internal chamber of the apparatus, with the result that the mixture of gas and uidized material is automatically sucked into the chamber through the tangential pipes 15a (FIG. 3) `or through the axial pipe 16 (FiGS. 2 and 5). When this suction effect requires supplementing, particularly in the case of materials of relatively high specific gravity, several wanes 7a (FIG. 2) are fitted at a slight angle of inclination on the lower end of shaft 6b, which vanes, in lsweeping past the inlet apertures with only a slight clearance, immediately lling the gas material mixture into the vortex zone, thereby initiating the disintegration process.

The hollow shaft 5a (FIG. 1) or the pair of hollow shafts 6a and 6b (FIG. 2) (FIGS. 1B, 6A), or the pair of hollow shafts 6a' and 6b (FIG. 1A) serve to feed oxygen or other chemical media into the inner space of the cylinder in the form of gas or vapor; such gases or vapors fed in from the outside are introduced into the end of hollow shaft, and forced towards the interior of the shaft along a spiral path and then pass through the stems 11 and openings 13a (FIG. 4) into the interior of the cylinder in turbulent movement, thereby splitting up into a very finely divided state in the vortex zone, and attaching themselves to the other substances in the apparatus.

The stress alternations in the interior of the apparatus range from slightly sub-atmospheric pressure to slightly super-atmospheric pressure and are controlled and compensated by the whirlers 7 or by lthe vortical currents, which means-generally speaking-that the initial subatmospheric pressure prevailing in the lower part of chamber 1 changes gradually to a slight super-atmospheric pressure prevailing in the upper part thereof, which pressure gradient effects ejection of the mixture through pipe 17 (FIG. 3) or pipe 17 (FIG. 5), the state of suspension of the mixture within the apparatus chamber being, however, maintained by a continuous rapid succession of changes from pressure zones to expansion zones within the main currents and in the microvortexes.

The whirlers 7, in rotating and producing a centrifugal effect, not only ensure the finest degree of dispersion in the resultant vortexes, but also are principally concerned with establishing a complex of closed whirling movements effecting the formation of the vortex currents and the separation and splitting up of these currents with the aid of cells into millions of microvortexes, constituting pressure and expansion zones acting in an explosive manner, with constant deections causing the flow of material continually to form and split up, within and on the edge of this flow, thereby creating not only a partial pressure effect in the direction of rotation of the shaft, but also producing in conjuntcion with negative movements a suction force in rear of the rotary movements, which increases from a minimum at the outer side of the hollow central shaft to a maximum in the proximity of the wall 5 (FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5).

It is apparent that only through this complex action dispersing effects are obtained which can scarcely be measured directly in numerical terms, so that the dispersion can be carried to such extremes that even solid substances are converted into a gas-like state.

These very high dispersion or disintegration figures are brought about mainly by the appropriate shape of the whirlers and the previously-mentioned honeycombed Walls both of the whirlers as well as of the stator Wall, which are so constructed that their cells are closely adapted to the generally assumed structural pattern of the molecular bonding of the material to be disintegrated; surfaces, spaces and edges assist in the dynamic effect Cil E en

and magnify the effect of the nascent microvortexes also outside the cells between stem and stem, between surface and surface, and space and space, and thereby contribute to obtaining quite astonishing disintegrating effects. In addition, in the physical field of microdisintegration, geometrical forms which are often regarded as purely conceptual formations, come into effect, since they are of significance to the structure of substances and to any action thereon, i.e. to the actual existence of such structure. This accounts for the surprisingly effective force of these suspension vortexes produced by very simple means in a system which realizes for the first time, and in an extremely simple manner, the laws of geometrical forms through physical modes of action in the field of microdisintegration. Only in this way can it be appreciated that dynamically there are actually no limits to this system except those governed by the natural limitation of each material.

FIGURES 13 and 14 attempt in a very rough diagrammatic fashion to present a picture which will give some idea of the physical manner in which the system operates. In these figures, the large circles represent the whirlers which are arranged in a manner similar to the first eight whirlers (looking from the bottom upwards) shown in FIG. 12, with the whirler stems located in the center being indicated by smaller circles. The curved lines with arrows indicate the main directions of the different material streams in such manner that these lines show at the same time numerous vortical intersections acting, as indicated in FIG. 13, within and on the edge of these lines and spreading in explosive fashion in all directions like a giant multiple firework, whereby the number of these intersections continually becomes greater as the disintegration procedure progresses, for the ner the particles are, the less becomes their resistance to microvortex formation.

Example The following data are given as a practical example, based on experiments which have been actually carried out, without however, implying any limits on the scope of the present invention.

A central shaft provided with twice as many whirlers as in FIG. l2, i.e., with thirty-two whirlers, is surrounded by a drum lined with cells of the shape according to FIG. 1l. The drum is in turn surrounded by the shell of the apparatus. The central shaft rotates within the drum, and constitutes the rotor together with the whirlers of FIG. 12. The drum, lined with the cells forms the stator wall. The principal design data of this apparatus are as follows:

Height of stator About 1000 millimeters per sec About 50,000,000. Admission pipes, axialc--- 6. Power required for operatie About 10 kw. Test material Pre-coniminuted red iron of approx. 700 micron average particle size. Quantitatlve output of apparatus About 50-70 kg. per hour. Degree of fineness in :t single Werl: cycle, without shifting- About 0.0001 mm. Duratlon of work cycle (Le, time between admission of a ecrtain quantity of material and the discharge thereof in a minutely disintegrated state) 1/2 second.

It is apparent that the examples shown above have been given solely by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that they are subject to many variations and modications within the scope of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are to be included Within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for finely grinding, dispersing, homogenizing, and mixing soiids, liquids and gases, said apparatus comprising a hoiiow rotary shaft, a plurality of whirlers having hollow stems carried by said shaft and communicating with the interior thereof, said stems extending radiaily from said shaft and a separate member carried by each stern at the outer end of the stern, each oi said members having outer surfaces consisting of a large number of open outwardly facing ceiis communieating with the interior of a stem, at least one cylindrical wall coaxially surrounding said shaft and having surfaces consisting of a large number of open cells substantially facing the cells of said whirlers and a housing enclosing said wall.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cells consist of honeycomb-like perforations.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said honeycomb-hice perforations are sharp-edged on both sides.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said honeycomb-like perforations have opposing edges which are offset and located on different planes.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said whirlers are fixed in spiral relationship upon said shaft.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, comprising at least one vane mounted upon and rotatable along with said shaft, said vane being located below said whirlers.

7. An apparatus for lincly grinding, dispersing, homogenizing, and mixing solids, liquids and gases, said apparatus comprising means forming a wall enclosing a chamber, at least one hollow rotary shaft within said chamber, and a plurality of whirlers, each of said whirlers comprising a hollow stem having an end fixed to the side of said shaft, said stern having at least one opening formed intermediate its ends and communicating with said chamber, the interior of said shaft communicating with that of said stem, and a wall member carried by said stem and enciosing it in spaced relationship thereto, said wall and the wall members of said whirlers containing a large number of honeycomb-like perforations to form a large number of vortexes within said chamber.

8. An apparatus for nely grinding, dispersing, homogenizing, and mixing solids, liquids and gases, said apparatus comprising means forming a wall enclosing a chamber, at least one other wall enclosing coaxially the firstmentioned wall and spaced therefrom to form a space enclosing said chamber, at least one rotary hollow shaft within said chamber, a return pipe communicating with said space and leading to said chamber, and a plurality of hoilow whirlers iixed to the side of said shaft and comprising spaced wall members, the first-mentioned wall and the wall members of said whirlers containing a large number of honeycomb-like perforations.

9. A method of treating pre-comminuted particles, which comprises introducing said particles into a space filled with a iiuid while projecting into said space a large number of small jets of a iiuid at different angles closely to each other to cause said jets to contact each other and form a large number of interengaging small whirls and while rotating said whirls within said space about an axis located outside of said whirls with a speed sufficient to maintain said particles in a state of suspension in said whirls until the energy of said whirls causes a comminution of said particles.

References Cited in the 'fiie of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 170,117 Root Nov. 16, 1875 280,692 Van Slyke July 3, 1883 285,595 Ellis Sept. 25, 1883 297,382 Golding Apr. 22, 1884 320,240 Goiding une 16, 1885 433,096 Sadravezt July 29, 1890 893,729 Hansen Iuly 21, 1906 1,124,855 Callow et al. Jan. 12, 1915 1,308,587 Heuser July 1, 1919 1,345,131 Cleworth Iune 29, 1920 1,359,426 Plaisted Nov. 16, 1920 1,360,929 Gough Nov. 30, 1920 1,431,252 Pomeroy Oct. 10, 1922 2,383,946 Tietig Sept. 4, 1945 2,515,226 Meyer Sept. 17, 1950 2,626,791 Lefevre Jan. 27, 1953 2,703,228 Fleisher Mar. l, 1955 2,707,594 Moore May 3, 1955 2,733,056 Marky Ian. 31, 1956 2,752,097 Lecher June 26, 1956 2,761,769 Elder Sept. 4, 1956 2,793,847 Steele May 28, 1957 2,833,484 Gooding May 6, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 143,353 Germany Aug. 15, 1903 749,214 France May 2, 1933 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR FINELY GRINDING, DISPERSING, HOMOGENIZING, AND MIXING SOLIDS, LIQUIDS AND GASES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOLLOW ROTARY SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF WHIRLERS HAVING HOLLOW STEMS CARRIED BY SAID SHAFT AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR THEREOF, SAID STEMS EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID SHAFT AND A SEPARATE MEMBER CARRIED BY EACH STEM AT THE OUTER END OF THE STEM, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING OUTER SURFACES CONSISTING OF A LARGE NUMBER OF OPEN OUTWARDLY FACING CELLS COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF A STEM, AT LEAST ONE CYLINDRICAL WALL COAXIALLY SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT AND HAVING SURFACES CONSISTING OF A LARGE NUMBER OF OPEN CELLS SUBSTANTIALLY FACING THE CELLS OF SAID WHIRLERS AND A HOUSING ENCLOSING SAID WALL. 